Rockingham man shares rough plight
A homeless Rockingham man hopes sharing his story will inspire residents to not judge a book by its cover.
Sleeping rough for the past 10 months after living in and out of the homeless cycle, Jason Cord knows all too well the stereotypes homeless people face.
"It is a bit disheartening at times," he said.
"There could be numerous reasons why a person is at a point in their life.
"If people looked a little bit deeper or took a step back they might be able to see."
The 45-year-old became homeless after separating from his long-term partner.
Mr Cord, who has spent 13 years in and out of prison, admitted he had made bad choices - including using drugs - but he urged that not all homeless people were in the same boat.
"I've done certain things I'm not proud of," he said. "I didn't have the best upbringing, I came from a broken family with an abusive mum and my nana died.
"I had no support network at the time. I sort of turned to drugs to block the feelings because (nana) was like a mum."
Mr Cord said being homeless put a strain on his health and ability to get a job.
"It affects you a lot. I've got two compressed vertebrae and a pinched nerve in my back so I find it hard to even walk around at the moment," he said. "I can't be reliable when I'm homeless. I don't know where I'm going to sleep at night or how I'm going to get where I'm going the next day."
Despite his situation Mr Cord said he saw a way out of homelessness and hoped others would try to see fellow homeless folk in a different light.
"I'm happy with who I am as a person but I'm not happy with where I am in my life, but I'm making small steps forward," he said.
